


True Meaning of Christmas

by Benedicthiddleston



Category: Tangled (2010)
Genre: Christianity, Christmas, Cute, Family, Gen, One-Shot, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-01
Updated: 2013-08-01
Packaged: 2017-12-22 03:10:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,469
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/908199
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Benedicthiddleston/pseuds/Benedicthiddleston
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Merry Christmas to all! Rapunzel doesn't know what Christmas is - so Eugene has to tell her what it stands for. After a story or two, does she know what it is?</p>
            </blockquote>





	True Meaning of Christmas

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted to ff.net on 12/23/2010 - transferring all worthy fanfics to A03/deleting ff.net account. 
> 
> Unbetated. I DON'T OWN ANYTHING!!!
> 
> Inaccuracies have been noted, but unchanged. Thanks for understanding :)
> 
> Christmas one-shot!

Christmas time in Corona. The servants were already decorating every inch of the castle, the Holidays starting out early that year. Even the kingdom was expressing their joy for that Christmas, hanging banners, setting out wreaths, putting up trees, and creating abundant loaves of Christmas bread and gingerbread homes. Everyone was in a festive mood. The huge tree that normally went in the middle of the square was going up that coming Friday - and it would be a celebration to remember!

Eugene had experienced many a Christmas. It was all the norm to him. In fact, he didn't have much of a Christmas spirit if you asked him. Growing up in an orphanage from age two had essentially determined his mood towards the season - bitterness. While he had been good at thievery, he had not found the spirit of the season to be found in his heart. He knew the stories, the carols. Everyone knew them. But he didn't have warm memories like some. On a good year, the head mistress of the orphanage would get them all a small stocking filled with candy and fruit. On a bad year, the littlest and youngest would get maybe an orange or a piece of candy, but the giving was not as grand. The kingdom helped supply food for the table, but otherwise, gifts were rare. The memories he had he was not so fond of.

Rapunzel, on the opposite side of the spectrum, was curious and confused by the decorations, the smells coming from the kitchen, and the meaning of all the festivities. On the first day that three servants had dragged in a total of ten trees into the castle to be placed and decorated, Rapunzel stopped Eugene in their tracks on a walk inside the palace walls.

Snow had fallen outside. Rapunzel watched as three servants dragged a tree up the steps and into the castle. That was when the questions began. They walked past another window and she stopped their forward progress. "Eugene, what are they doing?"

He looked over and saw what she was seeing. "Bringing in Christmas trees."

"Christmas trees? What are those?" She knew what trees were - she knew everything about botany and trees and plants. But this was all new.

"The trees get decorated for Christmas. Unless I take it you don't even know what Christmas is."

She shook her head. "Why do they decorate trees? Exactly what is Christmas?"

Eugene, unfortunately, was unsure about how to tell her all of what it meant. If he didn't believe, would that make her not believe? "Well, it's a long story-"

"Library!" she said cheerfully, almost expressing the Christmas cheer without _knowing_ it. She took his hand and they walked to the library, where she took one side of the comfy couch and he took the other.

She looked at him expectantly. "Christmas?"

"First question: why decorate trees. It's just a fun tradition started years ago. I couldn't really tell you much more than that. Gives Christmas cheer or something.

"Christmas, on the other side of the line, happens around this time of year every year - winter begins and everyone gets together with family and friends to give gifts to each other. It's turned into quite a holiday around here. A lot of people think it has to do all with gifts and spreading cheer and giving donations to the poor, what use that is, to be honest. But it all started many, many, many years ago - long before our ancestors were even born."

She looked confused. "That long ago? How has this holiday been around that long?"

"That's the difference. It's been around so long because it means so much."

"Ah. Go on." She smiled, hugging her knees. He was a good story teller. He was giving her good, solid information. Especially when she had no idea what Christmas was…. Still. Giving gifts… people did that on birthdays.

"All those years ago, a star was in the sky. This star was not normal though. Not like all the others. It shined even during the day."

"How did it do _that_? She had charted stars. She knew most of the stars out there. How did a star shine even during the day?

He laughed. "I don't know all the details. It just did."

"Okay."

"This star was over a town called Bethlehem. It was a small, quant town. Not really important at the time. Until a maiden and her betrothed walked into town on a donkey. Because of a law that had been passed, everyone had to go to their head town and register. Caesar Augustus wanted a head count. There was no room in Bethlehem. Every room in every inn was occupied. They were late. The problem? This maiden, her name Mary, was due to give birth to a son. It had been foretold by an angel that she would give birth to a son and Joseph, her betrothed, and her would name him Jesus."

"Angels?"

"Mythical beings. Messengers of a higher power, some of which call God. Miracle workers."

She gave it some thought. "Like my golden hair?"

He blinked. "Uh… well, maybe."

"Go on," she said again, letting him finish the story.

"While they were in Bethlehem, Mary had her baby. It was, indeed, a son. And she named him Jesus. Shepherds and Wise men, individuals who had heard of this special baby in this town below the star that could be seen across the world, even during the day, came and worshipped.

"See, everyone in that day had a prophesy. The prophesy claimed that a baby would be born to rule the earth. To be King."

"Like my father?"

"Close. But of all the earth. Not just a small kingdom or just a few citizens. The whole world."

"He was born to be King? What kind of prophesy is that?"

He laughed. "A weird one, I know. But it was what they all believed. Many accepted that the baby born in Bethlehem, below that star, would one day be King. Unfortunately, that didn't happen."

"Didn't happen?"

He wasn't sure he wanted to tell her the story of Easter quite yet. The eggs and bunnies would come soon enough, in April. But maybe a head start on the proposal of a story that was meant for Easter. He cleared his throat and told her what he knew. "He lived a good number of years - thirty three years. He even healed people, saved people from their sins, as called back then. Evil deeds and such. But the lawmen of those days, Pharisees and Judges, not unlike your father, just not as much power, grew jealous. So they put him to death."

She gasped. "Death? Whatever for?"

"They were scared he really would be King. And another prophesy told of his death. I know, messed up. So he died, a cruel, unusual death."

"So we celebrate Christmas for this baby born around this time that would die thirty-three years _later_?" She looked confused and aghast at such a concept.

"He didn't just die though." He knew the story - but he didn't believe it. Him, a thief, someone who had committed many a sin… believe that someone could raise from the dead like that? No magic? And then it hit him. He was alive because of Rapunzel. A miracle… was it possible? "Three days after his death, the tomb he had been placed in, his grave, was thrown open and the body taken. No one could ever find it again. It was unknown if he had truly risen from the grave, from death, or if someone had stolen his body. Even with guards posted at the tomb's entrance."

Rapunzel scratched her head, trying to comprehend… she was familiar with raising someone from the dead, but this was…. Off. "Yet Christmas is about this baby, this boy, this man… named Jesus?"

"Yes."

"Then where did all the gift giving and trees and decorations come in at?"

"People incorporating it over the years that it stuck. It was started centuries ago also."

She nodded, finally finding it full circle. "So strange… this holiday for a baby."

He shrugged. "Just a story, really. But I guess it is why we celebrate this holiday. Without that baby, we wouldn't have Christmas."  
She pondered everything he had said. And trusted him. Christmas was about celebrating family and giving to others with gifts. But it was also about a baby many years ago that lived to… to die.

* * *

He slipped on the belt, and then the hat. He pulled the beard over his mouth and smiled to himself in the mirror. _Christmas time in Corona_.

"Don't you look dashing?" Her voice was melodious, charming, and gracious. He loved her so very much. He turned to see her dressed as his counterpart: an elf in forest green and a red bell to top it all off.

She laced her arms around him, smiling and laughing. They didn't have to speak. Years of marriage, years of being together had just given them each an intuition about the other. And it grew each and every day.

"This year we have so much more to be grateful for." Their daughter had been returned to them. After eighteen years, their dear daughter Rapunzel had been given back to them. And the whole year had been one big rejoicing party. It was Christmas time - and it was a time to be thankful. So very thankful.

The Queen put her lips on his and drank deep. She pulled away, whispering, "That is why we do what we do tonight. Put smiles on kid's faces."

He took her hands and squeezed. "Time to light a tree."

Rapunzel led Eugene by the hand down the winding cobble stone to the main square, really a circle, where the tallest tree around was placed, decorated and just waiting to have its lights turned on. It was the annual Christmas tree lighting celebration in the kingdom, and everyone was out and about. The Christmas season had begun and was enthralling. It was all so new to Rapunzel.

"Okay, Brownie. Slow down." Eugene was being pulled along behind his beau as she wandered around in a trance from stall to stall, from commoners to merchants, from item to item. She was excited and confused and overall completely drawn in. She didn't slow down. Well, she didn't until he called out to her and her eyes hit the unlit tree.

She skidded to a halt, looking up and up and up until she saw the angel at the top in the dusk light. It was closing in on the time the tree would be lit. And Rapunzel knew it would be magnificent - for just a first time. "Wow."

"Wow is right," Eugene whispered in her ear, wrapping his arms around her waist. He was a little worn out from the rush, but just having her was enough.

Rapunzel's eyes looked around and then she spotted an odd site. A man with a white beard, a red hat, a fat belly, and a green-dressed servant of sorts, who was handing out candy. The man with the beard was having kids sit on his lap and talk to him. It was a strange site to her. She didn't understand. "What is going on over there?" She put one hand on his hands and another pointed towards the scene she couldn't take her eyes off of.

Eugene looked to where she pointed, rubbing her hand and almost laughed. "Never heard of Santa Clause and his Elf?"

She blinked, shaking her head. "Santa Clause and his Elf?"

"Santa gives out gifts to all the kids in the world. His Elf, or his elves, make the toys and help Santa. He delivers all the toys in one night - Christmas Eve night, right before Christmas. He does it so that on Christmas morning, every kid will get up and find presents under the tree." Eugene knew the story - not that he believed in a Santa Clause. The King and Queen were gracious and kind with what they did - playing Santa and the Elf - but it wasn't enough to just assume it was real.

"Who does it?"

And he knew just how to answer. "I say you go over there and sit on Santa's lap."

She looked behind her and glared. "I'm eighteen!"

"So?" He was nonchalant and just pushed her towards the Santa and the Elf.

She mustered whatever courage she needed and got in line behind a few kids already anxious to sit on Santa's lap. Eugene slipped into the crowd to watch from afar. He told her the story. She needed to feel it out for herself.

A few minutes later the Elf called 'next' and Rapunzel walked up to Santa. She sat on his lap, even at her age, and got curious.

"Ho ho ho, young lady. What do you want for Christmas?"

The voice was oddly familiar. She narrowed her eyes, and looked deep into Santa's eyes. Then she pulled his beard. It came right off. And revealed who she thought it WAS. "DADDY!"

"Oh, honey, that's part of the surprise." A laugh from behind her from the Elf was her mother's distinct voice. The King and Queen were Santa and the Elf!

"What are you two doing?" She was shocked and bewildered. Her parents… Santa and the Elf?

"Giving back to our kingdom. A little surprising to find you on my lap." Her father winked and smiled, pulling up his beard back to his face.

"Eugene told me to find out for myself." She pouted.

"Go out and have fun. The tree is about to be lit, Princess." Her mother nudged her back out into the crowd, squeezing her shoulder. "We love you."

Rapunzel slipped off her father's lap and ran back into the crowd, searching for Eugene.

He watched her leave her parents and saw her looking for him. He stepped back into the crowd from the sidelines to have her bump into him. "Eugene!"

"Hi, Brownie."

She giggled and took his hand. "My mom said the tree was about to be lit."

"That's not the only thing being lit tonight." Eugene took her other hand and pulled her close. She smiled, looking into his brown eyes. He stared back into her green eyes and they both just seemed to forget the world. They were both very in love. Not time for a wedding, but definitely a time to get to know each other more, to be family. To be together.

Their lips touched and the tree grew bright as the lights and the angel were turned on. The Christmas season was in full bloom and it was certainly new and bright for Rapunzel... she knew what it all meant... and even more than that.


End file.
